Long learns as she serves up coffee

Jenny Long gets more from her job as a barista at Petaluma Coffee and Tea than a paycheck.

“I like learning about the different types of coffees that we serve,” Long said, after being selected the fifth and final Service Person of the Week. “It sometimes lets me feel like I’m traveling to different parts of the world that I might not otherwise visit.”

Long said that coffee from Costa Rica is her favorite. She used another coffee to describe how each region of the world really does provide a unique blend.

“You do taste the different flavors. Coffee from Ethiopia comes from a higher, dry climate,” Long said. “It’s more fruity. You can taste blueberry in it. It’s a bolder taste. In Peru and other places, you get a much more mellow blend.”

“I have been going as a customer for many years and have found that Jenny is my favorite server,” said Ann Marie Farey. “She is polite, efficient and friendly. She goes out of her way to personally inquire about my life and other customers that come in. She goes way beyond the call of duty and makes sure everyone is treated promptly and with personal care.”

Long drew praise for her effort to expand her own horizons.

“She is also trying to go to college. Therefore, not only working and trying to finish her degree makes her a highly ambitious and hard-working young adult in our community,” Farey said. “We often forget the odds against our young people now in our economic times. So, to witness a young woman like Jenny, still trying, is an inspiration.”

Long enjoys the people she deals with each day.

“I love all my customers,” she said. “They’re awesome. Most of them are local people. I see a lot of the same people coming in. I really love the job.”

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Voting begins Friday, March 6 for Service Person of the Year online at petalu ma360.com. The five nominees are: Rachel Anderson, Kim Cupp, Patti Ingram, Jenny Long and Michi Termo.

On March 26, the winner will be recognized at the Petaluma Community Awards of Excellence event co-sponsored by the Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce and the Petaluma Argus-Courier. For tickets and more information, call 762-2785.

ONLINE: Service Person of the Year voting starts March 6. To vote, go to petaluma360.com